Secretary-General

Noon briefing of 11 August 2006

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Friday, 11 August 2006

ANNAN: NOW IS THE TIME FOR DECISIONS ON LEBANON RESOLUTION

  • Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General spoke to the press to stress his desire to see a vote on a resolution today.

  • “Each day the discussions go on, the death, the killing and the destruction continues in the region and the civilians on both sides continue to suffer,” he said.

  • He stressed this was now the time for decisions.

  • Asked whether the Secretary-General has intensified his involvement in recent efforts to have Member States reach an agreement, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General’s efforts have remained consistent over the past few weeks, and these have involved pushing Member States to agree on a resolution that will lead to an immediate cessation of hostilities.

  • The Spokesman added that speaking to press today, the Secretary-General had reiterated his desire to see a resolution agreed upon today.

  • Asked about the Secretary-General’s meeting with the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the Spokesman noted that they had met earlier today, and that there may be other high-level meetings today.

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES STATUS OF LEBANON RESOLUTION

  • Earlier this morning, the Security Council members met in closed consultations to discuss the status of a resolution regarding Lebanon. The Council will meet later today, at 3:00 p.m., to consider a draft resolution on that topic.

  • Today is also the monthly lunch given by the President of the Security Council. The Secretary-General will be attending.

U.N. FORCE ESCORTS BELEAGUERED LEBANESE CIVILIANS AND TROOPS TO SAFETY AS FIGHTING CONTINUES

  • At the request of the Government of Lebanon and with the consent of the Israeli Defense Forces, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) this morning successfully escorted a convoy of 80 vehicles carrying some 350 Lebanese troops as well as some 100 vehicles carrying civilians, from the town of Marjayoun. This comes after IDF yesterday took over the Lebanese Joint Security Force Marjayoun headquarters. UNIFIL says that the convoy, having received Israeli security clearance, is now proceeding north without UNIFIL escort.

  • The peacekeeping force also reports that one Katyusha rocket from the Hezbollah side impacted directly inside its Naqoura headquarters yesterday evening, causing extensive material damage, and lightly wounding one French soldier. Hezbollah is also responsible for a series of small arms firing assaults on UNIFIL vehicles and staff, including an attack this morning on a Chinese UN de-mining team, who suffered no casualties.

  • Meanwhile, attempts continue to re-supply nine UNIFIL forward positions of the Indian battalion in the eastern sector, which are facing critical shortages of fuel. If UNIFIL is not able to re-supply these positions today, it may face the situation where it would be impossible to maintain these positions.

  • UNIFIL further reports that it sent a medical and rescue team to the village of Haris in the central sector this morning to provide medical assistance to 25 civilians wounded as a result of intensive shelling. Seven of these, having sustained serious injuries, were relocated to a UNIFIL position in the area of Tibnin for further transport to the area hospital.

U.N. AIRLIFTS EMERGENCY RELIEF SUPPLIES INTO LEBANON

  • The UN began an airlift yesterday, with the first Jordanian Air Force flight from Amman landing in Beirut with blankets and mattresses, as well as medicines for the World Health Organization.

  • Meanwhile in Syria, where an estimated 160,000 displaced Lebanese are sheltering, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is starting to set up tented camps within summer youth camps in the city of Homs, to help ease overcrowding.

  • Regarding the UN’s $154 million humanitarian flash appeal, OCHA says that nearly $77 million – less than half – has been committed.

U.N. RIGHTS CHIEF URGES ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH TO RESPECT LAW AND CIVILIAN LIFE

  • High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today addressed the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as it held a special session on the situation in Israel and Lebanon.

  • The High Commissioner said “it is imperative to devote all efforts to an immediate cessation of hostilities, to save lives, and ensure justice for the victims and accountability for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law”. She reminded the parties to the conflict of their legal obligations under international law regarding the protection of civilians.

  • Arbour added that, almost daily, information from the field indicated an alarming pattern in the scale and choice of targets by all sides in the conflict. The deaths of hundreds of civilians in documented and corroborated incidents, involving either random or targeted attacks on civilian vehicles or buildings, strongly suggest the indiscriminate use of force, she said.

IRAQ: U.N. ENVOY CONDEMNS NAJAF BOMBING, URGES DIALOGUE FOR PEACE

  • The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, has condemned in the strongest possible terms the heinous killings of Iraqi civilians yesterday near the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf. Qazi also condemned the recent increase in sectarian violence, which has claimed hundreds of innocent lives throughout Iraq.

  • Qazi renewed his call to all Iraqis to refrain from resolving their differences through violence. He urged them to engage in sustained dialogue based on mutual respect and tolerance. He reiterated his call to Iraq’s authorities as well as community leaders to preserve the sanctity of places of worship, to value cultural and educational institutions and protect public services. Qazi also reaffirmed the UN’s readiness to support efforts aimed at restoring peace and security in Iraq.

  • Asked if Qazi had made any other comments about the escalation of violence in Iraq, the Spokesman noted that Qazi’s statement addressed the issue, and a recent human rights report by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq also detailed developments on this topic.

ADVISORY BOARD REVIEWS PROGRESS IN AUDIT OF IRAQ DEVELOPMENT FUND

  • The International Advisory and Monitoring Board on the Development Fund for Iraq issued a statement yesterday afternoon, in the wake of its meeting in New York in July.

  • The Board said it reviewed the latest audit reports, approved the reappointment of the auditor of the Development Fund, and reviewed progress on the special audits of the single sourced contracts using resources of the Development Fund.

  • It also said that it has been informed by the Iraqi representative that steps are being taken to establish an Iraqi oversight body to succeed the Board with a formal handover of responsibilities in December 2006.

HUMANITARIAN SUPPLIES FOR GAZA CRITICALLY LOW, U.N. WARNS

  • The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that its Gaza Field Office is running critically low on food supplies, as a result of the Karni crossing being closed for containers. The World Food Programme (WFP) currently only has around 1 months supply for some 220,000 needy people in Gaza.

  • For its part, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is providing drugs and medical equipment and rehabilitating maternity wards in hospitals. It is also helping the Palestinian Ministry of Health manage its ambulances and supporting NGOs that are handing out female hygiene kits.

  • Meanwhile, UNICEF is supporting 125 psychosocial counselors assisting children in distress.

AFRICAN UNION DARFUR PEACEKEEPING FORCE NEEDS FUNDS

  • The Secretary-General has written to the Security Council, providing it with an update on major developments in Darfur since his last report in late July.

  • In his letter, he says there has been some progress in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement – although some deadlines relating to the agreement’s key aspects have been missed.

  • In regard to the African Union force in Darfur, the Secretary-General notes that its ability to function is in jeopardy – despite a relatively positive response at the Brussels Pledging Conference in July, the African Union says there may not be enough money to keep its Darfur operation going until the end of September, when its mandate expires.

  • The Secretary-General also says that a preliminary review of the Sudanese Government’s plan for restoring stability to Darfur does not indicate a willingness to agree to a transition to a UN operation in Darfur.

U.N. CHIEF IN D.R. CONGO URGES CANDIDATES TO ACCEPT POLL RESULTS

  • The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), William Lacy Swing, this morning invited candidates in the presidential election to issue a joint statement affirming their determination to accept the results of the polls and not seek to undermine the credibility of the process.

  • Swing said that it is crucial that the institutions of the Congolese state be allowed to function in the spirit of the Global and Inclusive Accord signed by the Congolese parties in April 2003. He urged the transitional Government to reunite and save itself from collapse by all means.

  • Meanwhile, the UN Mission in the DRC says that compilation of election results continues, with nine percent of the votes counted. The Mission says that results from the capital Kinshasa, which is home to 12 per cent of registered voters, are expected to be published today.

  • Asked about Swing’s comments in light of reported arrests of electoral workers over fraud allegations, the Spokesman said that Swing’s message was clear: that all the candidates stand together in support of the electoral process.

  • “Of course until the results [of the election] are published it’s a very tense time on the ground and it is key that all the major actors in the political scene support the process and not do anything to undermine its credibility,” Dujarric said.

  • Pressed further, the Spokesman said there are legal mechanisms in place through which people can appeal should they have any concerns about the electoral procedures.

  • “What is important is that if people have issues with the way the election is being run is that they use those legal mechanisms and not the street to protest,” Dujarric said.

NIGERIA TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM COMEROON’S BAKASSI PENINSULA

  • With the withdrawal of the Nigerian troops from the Bakassi Peninsula and the transfer of authority, Cameroon and Nigeria will begin the third stage in the implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision of 10 October 2002 relating to the boundary and sovereignty over the peninsula.

  • As in the preceding instances, this official ceremony is symbolic and representative of the process of withdrawal of troops and transfer of authority between the two countries. It will take place in the presence of the two heads of the Cameroonian and Nigerian delegations, and will be presided over by the Chairman of the Follow-up Committee, Sir Kieran Prendergast.

  • Also attending will be the representatives of the Witness States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America.

U.N. COMMISSION PROBES SHOOTING INCIDENTS IN TIMOR-LESTE

  • The three commissioners of the UN Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor-Leste have completed the first of two visits aimed at looking into the violent incidents of April and May.

  • Speaking to the press earlier today in Dili, the chairman of the commission, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, said the commission’s aim was to “to provide an honest, truthful, narrative of the establishment of the facts” of the shootings of April and May and their causes.

  • Pinheiro said the three commissioners would return in September and complete their report to the Secretary-General by the first week in October.

  • He said the commission’s recommendations will include some measure of accountability for individuals or institutions for the crisis that erupted in April and May.

  • During its stay, the commission met the Timorese President, the Prime Minister, the former Prime Minister, leaders of political parties, military leaders, police authorities, church leaders, the diplomatic community, the UN country representative and the UN country team and leaders of other institutions.

  • Also Friday, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Timor-Leste, Dr. Sukehiro Hasegawa, visited Becora Prison, east of Dili, to assess the conditions of the detention facilities and the well-being of the prison inmates.

  • He said he found that the basic needs of inmates were met but that prison facilities need improvement, and we have more on that upstairs.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY CALLS URGENT ATTENTION TO SRI LANKA, KENYA

  • The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that in north-east Sri Lanka, it is helping a rapidly growing number of people displaced by fighting over the past week in Muttur between government forces and rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

  • Local authorities say more than 50,000 people are now displaced and sheltering in 51 sites in Trincomalee District – a big jump from the 21,000 reported on Tuesday.

  • UNHCR also says that an average of 100 Somali refugees are arriving every day at Dadaab in north-east Kenya – and it is worried that the figure could rise much higher if hostilities in neighbouring Somalia escalate.

ANNAN SADDENED BY LOSS OF LIFE AND DAMAGE IN INDIAN FLOOD

  • The Secretary-General is deeply saddened over the loss of life and damage caused by the recent flooding in the Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat States of India, where over 161 people have been killed and over 6 million are affected.

  • The Secretary-General regrets the loss of life due to this tragedy and extends his condolences to the victims and their families. He commends the Government of India on its rapid search and rescue operations and establishment of relief camps. The United Nations stands ready to offer any assistance requested by the Indian Government to support the national response to this disaster.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. TO HOST CONVENTION ON RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: At a two-week session that starts on Monday at UN Headquarters, delegates and other international leaders will work on finalizing the text of the first-ever draft convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

U.N. FOOD PROGRAMME TO ASSIST ETHIOPIA FLOOD VICTIMS: The World Food Programme is currently working to determine the immediate food needs of some 10,000 people left homeless by flash floods in the eastern part of Ethiopia.

U.N TO COMMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: International Youth Day will be celebrated worldwide on 12 August. With almost one in five young people living on less than US $ 1 per day (18 per cent of the 1,158 million 15 to 24 year olds worldwide), this year’s theme is “Tackling Poverty Together: Young People and the Eradication of Poverty.” At UN headquarters, the Day will be celebrated tomorrow morning at 10 am in Conference room 3. The event is being organized by DESA in partnership with the International Branch of the New York City YMCAs and will include youth testimonials and performances. Press materials and programme are available upstairs.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

12-18 August 2006

Monday, August 14

The eighth session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is scheduled to open today. The session will take place between 14 and 25 August.

Tuesday, August 15

This morning the Security Council is scheduled to hold an open debate on Timor-Leste.

At 1:15 in room 226, Ambassador Don MacKay of New Zealand and the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will brief journalists on the final phase of negotiations of the Convention.

Wednesday, August 16

The guest at the noon briefing today will be Francois Lonseny Fall, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia.

Friday, August 18

This morning the Security Council is scheduled to vote on a draft resolution on Timor-Leste.